Ellis and Irrational Beliefs

Question 1

What is REBT?

Answer 1

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy

Question 2

When did Ellis start developing REBT?

Answer 2

1955

Question 3

What is the basis for REBT?

Answer 3

teaching people to replace their irrational (self-defeating_ thoughts, feelings and actions with new and more effective ones

Question 4

What are the 2 types of thought?

Answer 4

rational and irrational

Question 5

How does Ellis define rational thought?

Answer 5

in the context that people have fundamental goals in life that underlie their attempts to be happy and satisfied. if people chose to start alive and be happy they they act rationally to achieve these goals

Question 6

How does Ellis define irrational thought?

Answer 6

when they sabotage these goals

Question 7

We are [?] scientists

Answer 7

naive

Question 8

Ellis argues that emotions and feelings of emotional disturbance are largely due to?

Answer 8

our direct thoughts, ideas or constructs

Question 9

Ellis argues that people disturb themselves: explain?

Answer 9

peoples own irrational ideas make them anxious, depressed, self-hating, angry or self-pitying about almost anything

Question 10

In his ABC model what does A stand for?

Answer 10

Activating experiences e.g. losing job, family problems

Question 11

What does B stand for (ABC model)?

Answer 11

Beliefs e.g. our beliefs, values and purposes about what happened to us at A

Question 12

What does C stand for (ABC model)?

Answer 12

Consequences e.g. depression, anger

Question 13

Which is the most important stage of the ABC model?

Answer 13

Beliefs, because they impact the consequences.

Question 14

What is Ego disturbance?

Answer 14

the person makes demands on themselves, other individuals and the world - when these demands aren’t met the persons becomes upset and damns themself.

Question 15

What is an example of ego disturbance?

Answer 15

if you think you must get an A grade for your next assignment and you fail to do so then you feel bad about it, think you’re a failure etc

Question 16

What is discomfort disturbance?

Answer 16

the person makes demands on self, others and the world which are related to dogmatic commands that life should be comfortable and things should not be too difficult to achieve - if demands aren’t met the person becomes disturbed

Question 17

What is healthy in order to achieve goals and long term happiness?

Answer 17

tolerating discomfort - its a rational alternative to demands for immediate gratification

Question 18

What are profound forms or crooked thinking or cognitive slippage that lead to self-defeating consequences?

Answer 18

absolutistic evaluations of shoulds, oughts, musts, commands and demands

Question 19

Its our nature to desire goals but it is also our nature to what?

Answer 19

insist these goals have to be/must be fulfilled

Question 20

If we use these must-urbations they will lead to what?

Answer 20

emotional and behavioural problems

Question 21

How does Ellis argue development of his theories?

Answer 21

children have innate abilities to think rationally but also an innate tendency to think irrationaly

Question 22

What does upbringing have to do with it?

Answer 22

children are likely to be raised by parents who have a tendency to think irrationally, therefore they learn the behaviour

Question 23

Irrational beliefs are related to?

Answer 23

anxeity, depression, social dysfunction, isolation, anger, guilt, jealousy, relationship problems, lack of control, low self-esteem.

Question 24

Evaluation: Description

Answer 24

Ellis provides very clear descriptions, providing systems to uncover the cognitive and belief structures of individuals

Question 25

Evaluation: Explaination

Answer 25

Theory focuses on uniqueness of individual but groups everyone under the same framework. Too much focus on individual though proccess, ignoring other aspects of personality

Question 26

Evaluation: Empirical Validity

Answer 26

Heavily researched and supported, lots of praise for REBT

Question 27

Evaluation: Testable Concepts

Answer 27

Both theories very easy to hypothesise and test

Question 28

Evaluation: Comprehensiveness

Answer 28

Its concerned with thinking, belief systems, emotional state and history of learning influences on personality

Question 29

Evaluation: Parsimony

Answer 29

Can be seen as simplistic; utilizes relatively few concepts

Question 30

Evaluation: Heuristic Value

Answer 30

REBT and other cognitive theories are the fastest growing and most researched apporach

Question 31

Evaluation: Applied Value

Answer 31

Ellis’ work used in clinical psychology, business and education